74pc children with measles unvaccinated

A large majority of children infected in Bangladesh’s ongoing measles outbreak had not been vaccinated, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

At a briefing held in Dhaka on Tuesday (April 29), officials said 74% of confirmed measles cases involved children who had not received any dose of the vaccine. Another 14% had received only the first dose, while 12% were infected despite completing both doses.

Health authorities also confirmed that one child died from measles or measles-like symptoms within the last 24 hours (between 8am yesterday and 8am today).

During the same period, 1,318 patients with measles-like symptoms were admitted to hospitals across the country. Of them, 88 cases were confirmed as measles through laboratory testing.

DGHS officials said the outbreak has led to a sharp rise in infections this year, with 4,944 laboratory-confirmed cases recorded between March 15 and April 29. In total, nearly 36,000 suspected cases have been identified nationwide, while over 20,000 patients have recovered and been discharged.

Health experts at the briefing highlighted ongoing vaccination efforts, noting that a special immunisation campaign was launched on April 5 in 30 upazilas to contain the spread. Officials from UNICEF Bangladesh said no new cases have been reported from those areas since the campaign began, raising hopes that the outbreak may ease by late May.

DGHS Director General Prof. Dr. Pravath Chandra Biswas said isolation facilities have been arranged in hospitals to manage patients more effectively and reduce pressure on transfers.

He also said new vaccine supplies under the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) are expected to arrive next month.

However, the DGHS chief noted challenges in case analysis and testing delays, while acknowledging that gaps in vaccination coverage remain a key concern.

So far this year, at least 47 children have died from confirmed measles infections, while another 227 deaths have shown measles-like symptoms, according to official data.